Video has increased in popularity over the years. 55% of people now watch this medium every day. In fact, we’ve become so attached to videos that millennials and Gen Z-ers literally can’t imagine their lives without them. These two generations spend most of the time on social media where various recordings take center stage. As a marketer, you need to accept this and start developing a social media video marketing strategy.

With over 3.6 billion users, social networks provide a space where your business can thrive. And, with a little help from videos, you’ll reach success in no time. Luckily, videos are so versatile that they can be used in many ways on social media platforms. You’re not limited to always using the same style or type. Plus, there are also live streaming videos, easy-to-use platforms, and editing apps, so it’s way easier to tap into the video marketing world than it was years ago.

You don’t have any excuses not to be on the video bandwagon today. In this article, we’ll help you devise a successful social media video marketing strategy. By merging these two effective tools, you’ll reach a wider audience and leave a lasting impression.

And here’s what you need to do…

Making a Social Media Video Strategy

There are many major social media networks, so we don’t blame you if you feel a bit overwhelmed. But you need to pull yourself back up and start working on your social media marketing approach. This means researching your consumers and determining where they spend time the most. It might come as a shocker, but the answer is — on social media.

They are either posting Instagram Stories or making short Boomerangs. Or they are coming up with a new dance routine to a TikTok video. Therefore, you need to establish a strong online presence to ensure your target audience is aware of your brand. And videos can help you along the way.

Let’s see what you need to have in mind when developing a social media video marketing strategy.

1. Set Objectives for Video Marketing

Don’t start thinking about which types of video to post on social media without setting a goal. What do you want the video to achieve? How will it help your brand thrive?

If you’re a novice marketer, we suggest that you start with only a few goals to avoid feeling overwhelmed. For instance, one of your goals could be increasing brand awareness. Or perhaps you want your viewers to subscribe to your newsletter.

Regardless of your choice, you need to see a clear objective in front of you. Once you do, you can move to the next step.

2. Choose Your Platforms

Every major social media platform is aware that their users want to see videos. That’s why most of them have become video-centered. Take Instagram for example. It used to be primarily a photo-sharing app, but now you can’t scroll down your feed without seeing a viral video. Other platforms, like Snapchat and TikTok, rely heavily on videos. This is exactly why you need a social media video marketing strategy.

If you’ve never published a video on any network, start with the one where you already have followers. According to Statista, internet users on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat spend about half of their time on these networks just watching video content. So, we suggest that you start with one of these platforms.

Another thing to consider is whether you want to repurpose your videos or not. If you want, then try to choose networks that complement each other. In that way, you’ll be able to share your videos across different platforms.

3. Decide on Your Video Types

Apart from being engaging and captivating, video is also versatile. This means that your audience won’t ever get tired of seeing your creations because you’ll be able to surprise them. Social media videos can be used for different purposes to support your content strategy. 

Deciding on which video type is suitable for your brand is one of the most important steps. After all, not all videos are the same.

Types to Use

We’ve narrowed down a number of different formats and their benefits that can improve your social media video marketing strategy:

• Educational videos: They are informative and can increase brand awareness for prospective customers. More often than not, marketers want to establish their brands as experts with this video format. However, if you’re targeting existing customers, then focus these videos on tips and guides for your products or services.
• Behind-the-scenes videos: These give a glimpse into your company and employees. You can post these videos on social media to show the human side of your business. As a result, you’ll build trust or even entertain your audience.
• Interviews: Invite guest speakers and cover multiple topics that relate to your brand. With the help of an influencer, you can introduce your company to more people. Having a light conversation with an important figure can provide more authenticity to your brand.
• Entertaining videos: They are filled with jokes, pranks, anecdotes, and even cute puppies. Their sole purpose is to engage and entertain the audience. However, they can also build a sense of community among your customers.
• Testimonials: Both prospective and existing customers love to watch video testimonials, so make sure to add them to your social media video marketing strategy. Showcase how a satisfied customer uses your product or service and how you solve their problem. While watching the video, a potential customer should see themselves in it.

As you can see, this medium brings a lot of benefits to the table. So, try making different types of videos, including explainers, product reviews, or live videos.

4. Plan the Production

Planning out your social media video marketing strategy will save you time and money. Before yelling “Action,” it’s important that you know how you want your video to look. Most marketers resort to creating videos themselves. If you plan to follow in their footsteps, here’s what you need to do:

• Acquire needed equipment
• Write and edit the script
• Gather the right people to help you in front of and behind the scenes
• Find the location where you’ll film the video
• Edit the video
• Analyze the end result for any kinds of issues

Now, that doesn’t seem that hard, does it?

5. Analyze Performance

The last step in your social media video marketing strategy is the most important of them all. Once you’re done sharing the video, you need to keep a close eye on its performance. You won’t know whether the video has achieved your goals if you don’t examine the statistics. How many video views do you have? What’s the watch time? Is it getting likes and shares?

Create Social Media Videos That Hook

This is what you’ll need to find out to determine whether your video is successful or not. Thankfully, most social media platforms offer detailed analytics and insights, informing you how the world is reacting to your clip. So, make use of this as it will help you develop a successful social media video marketing strategy in the future.